Element Oasis: Project Zero

Chapter 14

To Convince An Old Friend

"Arza," Zero spoke with a serious look on his face. His eyes were narrowed a bit and he stood at a good distance between himself and the older woman. The reason? Arza had an angry look on her face since the moment their eyes had met, and he didn't want to accidentally provoke her by being too close. Keeping a distance seemed like the best option for him to take.

"Zero," she said while staring into his eyes. "You're back."

"Just as I promised," he responded. "Has your trust in me grown any at all now that I've returned?"

"Why didn't you keep me updated? A message, a letter, or even a bird would have proven that you were safe, yet I just found out that you were safe today. Do you have any idea how worried I was about you while you were gone? Do you have any idea how much stress you've put me through until now? I've nearly been tearing my hair out thinking about how much trouble you could have been in. Trapped in a dungeon, stuck under some rubble, or drowning in an ocean somewhere. Zero you just left with an empty promise then come stumbling back in through those doors like you did nothing wrong."

She was pouring her heart out and Zero knew it. He didn't know how to respond to her because he knew that everything she was saying was true. He didn't even attempt to deny anything.

"I know that we don't know each other that much, but Zero I consider myself your first friend even if you remember your past or not. If you can't do the simple task of letting your friends know that you're safe then how do you expect me to ever trust you!" she yelled out.

Zero looked down at the ground as he absorbed her feelings and began trying to figure out how to atone for his sin.

Taking one step, the floorboards creak underneath his feet like a soft groan that seemed to carry through the air. Taking another, it happened again, then another before it stopped completely. As he took many more steps closer to her, the sound of his footsteps had gotten louder and louder.

When he reached her, he bent down and laid his forehead on the ground while closing his eyes.

"Arza," he said softly in his deep tone. "I apologize for making you worry so much and I also apologize for not keeping you updated on my life. It was wrong of me to treat a friend this way, especially my first friend to who I entrusted my secret. If you let me, I'll make up for my mistake."

Her eyes widened as she looked down at Zero. Never would she have expected Zero to be this way.

"You've changed so much," she said softly.

"I have," he said while looking down.

"You must have gone through a lot," she said as she watched him get back up from the floor.

He shook his head. "No, I just met so many different people that I knew I needed to change. I met two amazing people during the dungeon in the fire region that helped me a lot. Honestly, without them, I don't know if I would be here right now. I'm forever grateful to them and all they did for me but seeing their power made me want to become powerful. Standing beside them made me feel powerful, but then I met someone who had a different type of power. The same type of power that I need to achieve my goal."

"I see," she said while looking down. "When I first met you it was like you were a child. You were amazed by everything you saw and tried to hide it so hard that it was easy to spot. Now it seems as though I barely know you at all. Your speech changed so much that if I weren't looking at you then I wouldn't even know who I was talking to."

Zero nodded his head as he looked down with a sudden sadness on his face. He was completely silent even though it was his turn to speak now to continue the conversation but he truly didn't know what to say. He was at a loss of words. Whatever he wanted to say would only make him sound more guilty about changing and he didn't want Arza to think he was changing at all. Her description of his change had painted the picture of how much he had changed and though he knew he needed to change, he didn't like the change. It was stressful and required a lot of brain work. Brain work that he felt could be used for better purposes.